Tag archive for » chinese medicine «

Well Spring is upon us and this marks the start of flea season with all of its challenges if you own pets. For years at The Big Bad Woof, we have recommended holistic products exclusively to all of our customers both using internal and topical products to help repel and kill fleas and ticks. Some of our favorites are:

Earth Animal Flea & Tick Prevention products

Natural Chemistry’s Shampoos and Sprays

K9 Granola’s Flea Preventative topicals and internal tablets

Pet Naturals Protect

Shoo tags natural repellents worn as a tag on the collar

The last two years we have had a problem with our older female dog who gets a staph infection from flea bites. After counsel with both our traditional vet, Dr. Rebecca Bolch, and our integrative vet, Dr. Leanne Lipton, we are resolved to the fact that we need to use a topical pesticide for her which will be less damaging at 12+ years old than another staph infection. Which to use?

Both vets agreed that Advantage was the safest for her in this case but my partner and I were still worried in case there were side effects. Fortunately, we brought this up to our colleague, Dr. Christine Bessent and she had a great suggestion which makes sense to us to help mitigate the effects of this pesticide on our old dog.

Start with Herbsmith’s Clear AllerQI on the day you administer the topical, then follow up with an additional 4 days using Clear AllerQi to help dispel heat and cool the system, based on traditional Chinese Medicine.

“According to Chinese medical theory, the liver acts as a pump that provides the smooth flow of energy, or Qi (pronounced “chee”), within the body. When allergies lead to Liver Qi Stagnation, an imbalance within the liver, the “pump” overheats and produces skin that may be hot to the touch. The herbs in Herbsmith Clear AllerQi ® harmonize the liver and clear this heat without hindering the dog’s overall vitality.”

So we are going to use both an Eastern Herbal Formula and a Western Preventive and hopefully protect our wonderful girl Tumo this year from another vicious cycle of staph >>> antibiotics >>> probiotics >>>and round we go again.

Skin diseases such as for example eczema, is known in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) as shi zhen or damp rash and are generally either chronic or acute conditions. In TCM diagnosis and treatment is based on what is called pattern discrimination; the disharmonies, stagnations, deficiencies, wind, pathogenic influences, Heat or etc. within the body that affect the whole body health. The assessment establishes whether there is a pattern of Damp Heat or a pattern of Blood Dryness as seen from the TCM perspective. A Damp Heat pattern will include red, weepy skin lesions that are itchy, plus other signs and symptoms the TCM practitioner establishes. With Blood Dryness the lesions are dry and may also be itchy. The lesions may be more or less red or perhaps even pale plus other signs and symptoms established by the practitioner after a thorough examination of the patient.

Eczema may have a basis in other allergies. In dogs, some breeds seem also to be more prone to skin diseases than others; for example golden retrievers, terriers, poodles, Dalmatians, schnauzers. In dogs the cause for eczema can be internal and/or external parasites, fungus, yeast, fleas, chemical substances and drug reactions and others in addition to dietary and environmental allergies and sensitivities from a western perspective. Therefore thorough pattern discrimination is important. In TCM no health issue is seen in isolation, but always on the background of overall health. Once a TCM diagnosis is established the practitioner writes a treatment option for either herbal formulas or acupuncture or both, as well as dietary recommendations, which directly correlates to the specific person or animal’s TCM diagnosis. The herbal formulas for the two types of eczema will be different and may include topical treatments. If the condition has elements of dietary allergies, the diet must be checked and changed. If there are external causes for the eczema, these need to be eliminated not only on the animal, but also in the animal’s environment for treatment to be successful.

While an acute condition is easier and quicker to treat than chronic, enough time needs to be allowed for the treatment to work and to bring harmony back to the body.

Increasingly animal companions are being diagnosed with the same illnesses that their human owners are struggling with. This is not without reason. The environmental stresses as well as the commercial foods many pets eat, even the tap water affects their health as seriously as the prepackaged foods people buy for themselves affect them. As a result allergies, diabetes, kidney problems, arthritis, lethargy, heart and liver problems, cancer, anxiety, fearfulness and other illnesses occur at an increasing rate. These are health problems that were not seen at the same rate 20 to 30 years ago. If you use as an example type 2 or adult onset diabetes, excess weight and heart disease in humans, diet and lifestyle issues are tightly connected to it. These illnesses once diagnosed often necessitate the use of medications. This is true with humans as well as pets.

In a human population, if one again takes diabetes as an example; when meaningful changes are made with regards to smoking, weightloss, use of foods low on the Glycemic scale, increase in fiber and good fats decrease in bad fats and an increased level of physical activity there is a significant decrease in occurrence of diabetes in that population. Diet and physical activity is a therefore a critical component in treatment which in many cases can be effective on its own.

In the case of our companion animals, veterinarians also recommend meaningful dietary changes, appropriate organic foods for dogs and cats. Similarly animals need regular daily physical activity as well as activities to relieve boredom and stress to stay healthy. I would add to this, give your pet fresh filtered or spring water instead of tap water. Our pets have one advantage over the human animal when trying to maintain weight; somebody else controls the refrigerator and cupboard doors.

While I was studying Chinese Herbal Medicine my teachers, Michael Tierra L.Ac. and Leslie Tierra L.Ac., had a favorite saying; “one can pay up front or pay later”, meaning of course that one can either pay up front for healthy, appropriate organic and pastured foods, clean water, increased physical exercise and stress relieving practices or pay for illnesses later. While no one can guarantee health, and medication may indeed become necessary at some point, healthy foods and lifestyle practices go a long way to maintaining physical and mental health for all animals, two or four footed.

Bethesda Cares and Full Plate Ventures launched Farm to Freezer this summer with support from a diverse network of volunteers, Churches’ donated kitchen space, and businesses. Bethesda Cares’ meals manager who cooks a hot lunch for 40-70 each day uses the